The Voice CSP: case study blog tasks

Language and contexts

Homepage

Go to the Voice homepage and answer the following:

1) What news website key conventions can you find on the Voice homepage?

Thumbnail - 'clickbait' stories. Images centrally placed to grab attention of TA.

Top menu: Includes hard/soft news which appeals to TA.

Advertisements: Digital convergence and product placement, jobs for community.

2) What are some of the items in the top menu bar and what does this tell you about the content, values and ideologies of the Voice?

'News' 'Entertainment' 'Faith' - They deal with serious political/social issues, whilst also providing more fun content which keeps audience hopeful and educated at the same time. I thought the faith part was interesting because I know that a lot of black household take faith and religion quite seriously, in this case Christianity.

3) Look at the news stories on the Voice homepage. Pick two stories and explain why they might appeal to the Voice's target audience. 

Hurricane Melissa -The Voice tries to serve Black communities, reporting on issues, events that directly affect them. Natural disasters like hurricanes would impact marginalized communities.

4) How is narrative used to encourage audience engagement with the Voice? Apply narrative theories (e.g. Todorov equilibrium or Barthes’ enigma codes) and make specific reference to stories on the homepage and how they encourage audiences to click through to them.

Enigma codes - the captions are purposefully cut off so that it can engage audiences to press on it to read on further. 

Lifestyle section

Now analyse the Lifestyle section of the Voice and answer the following:

1) What are the items in the sub-menu bar for the Lifestyle section and what does this suggest about the Voice audience?

'Fashion/beauty' 'Health' 'Relationships' - that they are inquisitive and curious who want to learn and evolve with education. Maybe it suggests that these topics are not discussed enough so the provide their own space for it.

2) What are the main stories in the Lifestyle section currently?

'Nala's baby goes from strength to strength'

3) Do the sections and stories in the Voice Lifestyle section challenge or reinforce black stereotypes in British media?

No, I think it is trying to build a different image than what originally has been established.  

4) Choose two stories featured in the Lifestyle section – how do they reflect the values and ideologies of the Voice?

'Embracing the gift of adoption' 

'New initiative to support black businesses'

They are trying to recognise and support people in the local community. They aim to uplift those from the local area.

Feature focus

1) Read this Voice opinion piece on black representation in the tech industry. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?

"Embracing a bold, Black British future in the tech industry means giving our community the opportunity to thrive and flourish in an environment where authenticity and talent is appreciated and celebrated. It’s time to start challenging our workplaces to do better and work towards a more inclusive environment at all levels."

2) Read this feature on The Black Pound campaign. How does this piece reflect the values and ideologies of The Voice?

They work to support and give exposure to issues that are otherwise ignored. Rather than ripping apart others, they actually to uplift and make initiatives to better their lives.

3) Read this Voice news story on Grenfell tower and Doreen Lawrence. How might this story reflect the Voice’s values and ideologies? What do the comments below suggest about how readers responded to the article? Can you link this to Gilroy’s work on the ‘Black Atlantic’ identity?

Again they're supporting unheard voices and exposing injustices in the world.

Social and cultural contexts - 40 Year of Black British Lives

Read this extract from The Voice: 40 Years of Black British Lives on rapper Swiss creating Black Pound Day (you'll need your Greenford Google login to access the document). Answer the following questions:

1) What is Black Pound Day?

2) How did Black Pound Day utilise social media to generate coverage and support? 

3) How do events such as Black Pound Day and the Powerlist Black Excellence Awards link to wider social, cultural and economic contexts regarding power in British society?  

Audience

1) Who do you think is the target audience for the Voice website? Consider demographics and psychographics.

Minority niche audiences.

2) What audience pleasures are provided by the Voice website? Apply media theory here such as Blumler and Katz (Uses & Gratifications).

Surveillance - It informs of important events

Entertainment - It has nice stories about success, beauty, sports, and fashion.

Identity - They may see themselves reflected in people in stories

3) Give examples of sections or content from the website that tells you this is aimed at a specialised or niche audience.

Definitely the lifestyle section, I can only see black people on the cover. As well as problems that might effect those communities specifically. 

4) Studying the themes of politics, history and racism that feature in some of the Voice’s content, why might this resonate with the Voice’s British target audience?

They might feel underrepresented within wider British media and so find comfort in the Voice giving space to discuss  black issues.

5) Can you find any examples of content on the Voice website created or driven by the audience or citizen journalism? How does this reflect Clay Shirky’s work on the ‘end of audience’ and the era of ‘mass amateurisation’?

No.

Representations

1) How is the audience positioned to respond to representations in the Voice website?

They're positioned to be sympathetic and try to understand these issues. 

2) Are representations in the Voice an example of Gilroy’s concept of “double consciousness” NOT applying?

 Yes, because they are more solid in their identities and clear about it.

3) What kind of black British identity is promoted on the Voice website? Can you find any examples of Gilroy’s “liquidity of culture” or “unruly multiculturalism” here?

I think the whole Black pound initiative shows the blending of cultures.

4) Applying Stuart Hall’s constructivist approach to representations, how might different audiences interpret the representations of black Britons in the Voice?

Dominant -  The Voice’s representations as empowering and authentic.

Negotiated Reading - Might acknowledge The Voice as a valuable platform for underrepresented voices.

Oppositional Reading - Could reject The Voice’s narratives as biased.

Industries

1) Read this Guardian report on the death of the original founder of the Voice. What does this tell you about the original values and ideologies behind the Voice brand? 

The report on Val McCalla’s death shows that The Voice was founded with a clear social mission: to give Black Britons a platform to represent themselves in a media landscape that ignored or stereotyped them. The paper’s core values were community empowerment, activism, and resistance to racism and injustice. It combined campaigning journalism with a sense of Black British identity and pride, aiming to be both a successful business and a powerful voice for equality and representation.

2) Read this history of the Voice’s rivals and the struggles the Voice faced back in 2001. What issues raised in the article are still relevant today? 

The Guardian’s 2001 article shows that The Voice was struggling with declining circulation, competition from newer Black media outlets, and a failure to adapt to the changing interests of younger, more diverse Black British audiences. It also faced credibility issues with advertisers and criticism for focusing too narrowly on racism stories. 

3) The Voice is now published by GV Media Group, a subsidiary of the Jamaican Gleaner company. What other media brands do the Gleaner company own and why might they be interested in owning the Voice? You'll need to research this using Google/Wikipedia or look at this Guardian article when Gleaner first acquired The Voice.

The Gleaner Company owns multiple established media brands (newspapers in Jamaica, radio, overseas editions). The acquisition of The Voice through its UK subsidiary GV Media pays strategic dividends by opening up a diasporic market (Black British/Caribbean heritage), aligning with the company’s identity, and offering a new revenue stream and brand presence outside Jamaica.

4) How does the Voice website make money?

Ads and display ads

5) What adverts or promotions can you find on the Voice website? Are the adverts based on the user’s ‘cookies’ or fixed adverts? What do these adverts tell you about the level of technology and sophistication of the Voice’s website?

6) Is there an element of public service to the Voice’s role in British media or is it simply a vehicle to make profit?

I think it's very PSB-like, maybe even more PSB-like than actual PSBs. The license fee is stupid.

7) What examples of technological convergence can you find on the Voice website – e.g. video or audio content? 

The way that through the product placement on the book on the website. 

8) Analyse The Voice’s Twitter feed. How does this contrast with other Twitter feeds you have studied (such as Taylor Swift)? Are there examples of ‘clickbait’ or does the Voice have a different feel?

Much less engagement and numbers compared to TS, less popularity and impact.

19) Study a selection of videos from The Voice’s YouTube channel. What are the production values of their video content?

Definitely very low, the background is unprofessional, audio quality is bad and phone notifications can be heard in the background. The editing quality is also quite amateur.